Protected terminal



June 8, 1937.

J. H. STIALEAY PROTECTED TERMINAL File d Dec. 2,

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June 8, 1937.

J. H. STALEY PROTECTED TERMINAL Filed Dec. 2, 1955 Sheets-Sheet 2 [III s3 [flue/7504 Jozajep/v H Sid/6g.

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Patented June 8,, 1937 UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE ammo This invention relates to electrical terminals and has for its primary objectthe provision of means to cover the terminals against accidental contact therewith by operators, but at the same time permitting the connecting of said terminals to the devices without having to employ means for uncovering the terminals or making them available. A further important object of the invention is to provide an operation whereby the terminal may be directly presented against the device to be connected and by simple pressure cause the terminal to be uncovered and connect with that device. Another important object of the invention is to provide a very simple as well as durable structure which may be produced at relatively low cost thereby permitting wide-spread use of the invention in order to further promote safety in making electrical connections where the terminals must necessarily be live.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description made in accordance with the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a structu e embodying my invention; I

Fig. 2, an end elevation;

Fig. 3, a central longitudinal section on the line 3-3 in Fig.1;

Fig. 4, an end elevation of a modified form;

Fig. 5. a central longitudinal'section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a top plan view; Fig. I, a further modified form in central longitudinai section; and

Fig. 8, a central longitudinal section 01' the last modified form as engaged in a receiving receptacle. Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

In that form of the invention as shown in Figs. 1-3, I provide a. body III made of some suitable insulating material, here shown as being. cylindrical in shape, although not necessarily so, and having a central bore I I entering therein from one end. I form a terminal I! to have an annular flange i3 with a stud l| extending axially therefrom.

This stud I4 is screwthreaded on its rear end and is also provided with a central bore entering from that end to receive therein the end of a conductor l5 which may be sweated or soldered in place and if desired further retained 55 by pressing inwardly a portion of the stud, as at ".to be embedded in the conductor ii to prevent its withdrawal from within that end of the stud. A sleeve ll made of any suitable insulating material is formed to have a sliding fit within the bore ll of the body In and further to have an axial bore through its rear end permitting the stud I to slide freely therethrough and screwthreadedly engage in the body ill at the rear end of the bore II to have the conductor l5 extend outwardly from the rear end of the body I. The

sleeve I1 is further formed to have an enlarged bore through its major length receiving the flange IS with a sliding fit therealong so that the outward travel of the sleeve I! along the stud I4 is limited by the shoulder produced at the end of the enlarged bore striking the rear side of the flange I3. A spring I8 is carried within the body l0 surrounding the stud l4 as a means for urging thesleeve I! to its outermost position as indicated in Fig. 3. The length of the sleeve I1 is made to be such that it will carry therewithin the connecting end of the terminal l2.

In the form herein shown, the terminal I 2 is provided with a transverse slit l9 to provide primarily for a resilient connection of the terminal in the socket of the device (not shown) to which the terminal is to be applied. This slit l 9 may be further employed as a means for revolving the terminal H. by some such instrument as a screwdriver to cause the stud Hi to be firmly fitted by its serewthreaded end on the body Ill. The terminal I2 is made available throughout its length --back to the flange l3 by direct pushing of the body I 0 toward the device intended to receive the terminal so as to have the outer end of the sleeve I! bear thereagainst and be carried back into the body Ill causing the terminal thereby to relatively extend outwardly therefrom. Of course, when the terminal is withdrawn from that device, the sleeve I! will immediately move out and cover over the terminal end 12 under the influence of the spring l8.

In the form of the invention as shown in Figs. 4-6, a pair of terminals l2 as indicated in the form shown in Figs. 1-3 are carried by a common vbody 28 so that both terminals may be operativeshown in m. '1 and a, the safety feature a carried still further. This form is similar to that in I'lgs.\1-8, but the terminal :2 corresponding to the terminal I! is provided witha tip a made 01' insulating material and, further, is placed to extend from the sleeve I! so as to serve as a pilot in entering the socket or female terminal 34. The tip 33 may be secured to the terminal 32 in any suitable manner, herein shown as being screwthreadedly attached.

When desired, means additional to the frictional grip may be employed to retain the terminal 32 in the female terminal 34. Such means may take the form of the customary spring grip as'indicated in Fig. 8, wherein the terminal 32 is provided with an annular groove 35 into which fall the shoulders 38 of the spring fingers 31 carried by the female terminal.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the simplest form as now known to me, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a connecting terminal, an insulating body having a bore open at one end and partially closed at the other, the partially closed end having a threaded hole, an insulating sleeve slidably carried in the bore, said sleeve having an inside shoulder at its inner end, a metallic stud threaded at one end to screw into the threaded hole in the insulating body and having a shoulder between its ends, said stud assembled axially of the sleeve and body with the shoulder in the sleeve and a spring normally projecting the sleeve from the body into arresting contact with the shoulder on the stud.

2. In a connecting terminal, an insulating body having a bore open at one end and partially closed at the other, the partially closed end having a threaded hole, an insulating sleeve slidably carried in the bore, said sleeve having an inside shoulder at its inner end, a metallic stud threaded at one end to screw into the threaded hole in the'insulating body and having a shoulder between its ends, said: stud assembled axially of the sleeve and body with the shoulder in the sleeve and a spring normally projecting the sleeve fromthe body into arresting contact with the shoulder on the stud, said spring being carried in said bore behind said sleeve and surrounding said-stud.

3. In a connecting terminal, an insulating body having a bore open at one and partially and closed at the other, the partially closed end having a threaded hole, an insulating sleeve slidably carried in the bore, said sleeve having an inside shoulder at its inner end, a metallic stud threaded at one end to screw into the threaded hole in the insulating body and having a shoulder between its ends, said stud assembled axially of the sleeve and body with the shoulder in the sleeve and a spring normally projecting the sleeve from the body into arresting contact with the shoulder on the stud, and an insulating member on the outer end of the stud normally projecting aportion at least from said sleeve and to serveas a, pilot.

JOSEPH H. STALEY. 

